Sautéed Pea Tendrils
Pea tendrils have a fresh, delicate flavor—not much
needs to be done to them. In fact, they are
delicious raw too!
1 bunch of pea tendrils—trim any tough ends
2 tablespoons olive oil
2–4 cloves of garlic, crushed
A sprinkle of sea salt
Chili flakes, if you like heat (optional)
Pea Tendril Pesto
This intensely flavored, neon green pesto recipe is
inspired by one that appeared in the New York Times.
Add up to a half-cup of additional fresh herbs such as
chives, mint, arugula and parsley. Like most pestos, all
amounts are approximate, so adjust according to your
own taste. Recipe by Edible Portland
Try this pesto on a piece of toast with a sliced
hardboiled egg; added to boiled potatoes with
chopped green onions; or thinned with pasta water
and tossed with wide-cut fresh noodles.
Rinse and chop the pea tendrils. Add olive oil and garlic
to a cold skillet. Heat over medium heat until garlic is
fragrant (but not brown!). Remove garlic clove from
the pan and save for later (optional).
½ cup walnuts, raw or toasted
Add the chopped tendrils and sauté for about 30
seconds. Cover and cook just until wilted 2–5 minutes,
depending on their thickness—don’t overdo it—you
want them barely wilted, but still flavorful and
crunchy!
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Serve with a tiny sprinkle of sea salt and/or chili flakes
if you want a little bit of heat. You also can chop the
garlic and add it back in if you’d like.
3 cups pea shoots, roughly chopped
½cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
Sea salt to taste
1/3 to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. To toast the walnuts, preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Spread walnuts on baking sheet and roast
until golden, about 10 minutes. Check by letting them
cool and then breaking a walnut in half. The inside
should be golden all the way through. (Optional. Tastes
good with walnuts just out of the bag too).
2. In a food processor or blender, combine walnuts,
pea shoots, Parmesan and garlic. Pulse until roughly
chopped. Add salt to taste. With motor running, slowly
drizzle in olive oil. Blend until well-combined and you
reach your desired thickness. Scrape pesto into a bowl
and use immediately, or store in a jar with a thick
covering of olive oil and use within three days. You can
also freeze in ice cube trays.
Makes 2 to 2 ½ cups
The next best thing to growing it yourself—is knowing who did.
The next best thing to growing it yourself—is knowing who did.
155 Cedar Knoll Rd • West Brandywine, PA • (610) 383-4616
155 Cedar Knoll Rd • West Brandywine, PA • (610) 383-4616